Upcoming Hell Let Loose Plans With Hell Let Loose: Vietnam taking the spotlight over the last few weeks, we also want to reaffirm our continued commitment to Hell Let Loose and share an update on what’s coming next for the game. There is still plenty on the way, including new map
Upcoming Hell Let Loose Plans
With Hell Let Loose: Vietnam taking the spotlight over the last few weeks, we also want to reaffirm our continued commitment to Hell Let Loose and share an update on what’s coming next for the game.
There is still plenty on the way, including new maps, weapons, vehicles, game modes, and more. We also want to provide an update on our progress against the 2026 Roadmap, including a change to our plans for the remainder of the year.
Roadmap Update: 2026 and 2027
Alongside our work on new content in the 2026 Roadmap, we also continue to focus on addressing community-reported bugs and improving performance across all platforms. This is ongoing work that will continue across future updates as we identify, investigate, and implement improvements over time.
As we’ve reviewed our plans for the remainder of 2026, we’ve also taken another look at the development timelines for our upcoming maps and the time needed to deliver them at the quality we expect.
With that in mind, we’ve made the decision to move the release of Seelow Heights into 2027.
We know how highly anticipated this map is, particularly after the community voted for its inclusion earlier this year, however the additional development time will allow us to give this brutal battlefield the attention it deserves.
As a result, our winter update will now take players to the frozen landscape of Lake Balaton, which we’re incredibly excited to share with you. Experimental Branches will be hosted over the coming months, giving players the opportunity to help us test and refine this new Eastern Front map ahead of its full release.
We’re also already hard at work planning our 2027 Roadmap, with a number of community-requested features and improvements already being prioritised in it’s development.
If there are features, fixes, performance improvements, or other changes you would like to see us focus on, let us know in the comments. Community feedback will continue to play an important role in shaping our plans as we work to make 2027 the best yet for Hell Let Loose.
Update 21
Update 21 will be the next major update for Hell Let Loose, bringing a number of new additions to the battlefield. Here’s a look at some of what you can expect:
New Weapons
Update 21 will introduce a selection of new weapons for players to get their hands on.
The M1903A3 Springfield (US)
An iron-sighted variant of the bolt-action Springfield
The M1903A4 Springfield (US)
A model update for the existing Springfield Sniper
The ROKS 2 Flamethrower (Soviets)
The long-requested Flamethrower for the Soviets
Rifle Grenades
On top of this Update 21 is adding Rifle Grenade launchers. Modified variants of existing guns, that on top of being used as regular infantry weapons, are capable of firing several different types of grenade (High Explosive, Smoke, and Anti-Tank). These are the following weapons:
The M7 Grenade Launcher for the M1 Garand (US)
The Schiessbecher Grenade Launcher for the Karabiner 98k (Germany)
The No.1 MK I Cup Discharger Grenade Launcher for the SMLE No.1 MK III EY (Britain and Canada)
This update allows players to fire the Rifle Grenade from the hip/shoulder. Coming in Update 22 the aim is to expand this feature to allow players to plant the Rifle Grenade and also use it for indirect fire.
New Loadouts
Due to the addition of new weapons, new loadouts have also been added to include them.
A new Level 6 loadout for the US Rifleman, armed with the M1903A3 Springfield and an explosive ammo box
A new Level 8 loadout for the Soviet Support with the ROKS 2 Flamethrower
New Level 8 Rifleman loadouts for all appropriate factions with a Rifle Grenade equipped with 4 HE and 2 Smoke Rifle Grenades
New Level 6 Medic loadouts for all appropriate factions with a Rifle Grenade equipped with 6 Smoke Grenades
New Level 8 Engineer loadouts for all appropriate factions factions with a Rifle Grenade equipped with 3 AT, 2 HE and 1 Smoke Grenade
Loadout Changes
Some changes have been made to certain pre-existing loadouts, these are detailed below:
Based on Experimental Branch feedback the primary weapon of the default loadout on the US Anti-Tank role has been changed to the M1 Carbine
The primary weapon for the default Tank Commander role for the US has been changed to the M3 Grease gun
All default Crewman roles across all factions now include a Blowtorch
The primary weapon for the default Engineer role for both British factions has been changed to the Rifle No 4 MK 1
For historical reasons all German DAK M43 grenades have been replaced with the M24 grenade
Fire-mode Selectors
The option to toggle fire-modes has been added to all historically appropriate weapons. This allows players to freely swap between two different fire modes, semi-auto and fully automatic (or slow auto and fast auto for the BAR).
Below is the full list of weapons getting this feature:
MG34
FG42
STG 44
M1918A2 BAR (fast and slow auto)
M1A1 Thompson
M1928A1 Thompson
Bren Gun
Sten Gun Mk.II
Sten Gun Mk.II (Canadian)
Sten Gun Mk.V
PPSH 41
Recoil Adjustments
Due to the addition of fire selector modes, both the STG 44 and Bren have had their recoil slightly increased. An issue has been fixed with the Bren where almost all it’s recoil was applied as visual screen shake.
Conquest
Conquest will also make its way to Hell Let Loose in Update 21.
The mode has gone through significant iteration since it was first tested at the beginning of the year, incorporating feedback and lessons from our Experimental Branch sessions.
We’re excited to see how the latest version plays once it reaches the wider community.
For Armor in Update 21, we are introducing improvements and balancing to a range of different features. The Luchs has been reworked to improve its combat capabilities against enemy armor, while still keeping its key role as Anti-Infantry.
Tank smoke launchers will also receive improvements, providing larger smoke screens with longer lasting coverage. These changes will be supported by a wider balance pass across armored vehicles, including HE splash radius, ammunition counts, fuel costs and more.
SPAs have also had some changes, with a single zoom level added for the Gunner seat. On top of this the default SPA that spawns at each team’s HQ will now auto-respawn after 7 minutes and 30 seconds once it is destroyed. Much like other auto-respawning vehicles, this will not count towards the team’s maximum vehicle limit.
For Anti-Tank players, buildable AT Guns have been adjusted and balanced to make them more effective against enemy armor. These changes include faster turning speeds, updated angle limits when rotating and a damage balance pass.
These changes have been shaped through testing and feedback from the community, with the aim of improving the overall armor and anti-tank experience.
Update 22 is currently planned for later this year and will take Hell Let Loose back to the Eastern Front with a brand-new map, alongside the arrival of some devastating new vehicles.
Lake Balaton
Lake Balaton takes the fight to Hungary during the final months of the war in Europe, as part of Operation Spring Awakening.
Across its frozen landscape, players can expect a distinct new Hell Let Loose battlefield, built around the scale, atmosphere and combined-arms combat that define the experience.
We’ll be sharing much more about Lake Balaton, including opportunities to playtest the map through the Experimental Branch, in the months ahead.
New Vehicles
A new class of vehicle will also be rolling onto the battlefield with Update 22.
We’re not quite ready to reveal everything just yet, but these new additions will bring some serious firepower with them.
We’ve probably said enough for now… any guesses?
The Future
There is still plenty more ahead for Hell Let Loose.
In 2027, we’ll be bringing the highly requested Seelow Heights to the game, alongside a focus on many community requests updates, improvements, and additions that we’ll be sharing as part of our next Roadmap.
Between now and then, our focus remains on delivering Update 21 and Update 22, improving performance across all platforms, and continuing to work closely with the community as Hell Let Loose moves into its next year of updates.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support and feedback. We can’t wait to show you more of what we’re working on, and we look forward to revealing our next Roadmap closer to the end of the year and the release of Update 22.
See you on the battlefield.
War Correspondents Content
As always, our War Correspondents have been on the front-lines in both Hell Let Loose and Hell Let Loose: Vietnam creating some incredible content. Check out some of their latest releases below:
Welcome to Hell Let Loose: Vietnam Hell Let Loose: Vietnam is officially live now across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S! View game page Whether you’ve been supporting Hell Let Loose since its original Kickstarter or you’re brand new to the franchise, we cannot wait to wel
Welcome to Hell Let Loose: Vietnam
Hell Let Loose: Vietnam is officially live now across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S!
Whether you’ve been supporting Hell Let Loose since its original Kickstarter or you’re brand new to the franchise, we cannot wait to welcome you to the community as we enter the brutal battlefields of Vietnam.
As you prepare to deploy, we highly recommend checking out some of our recent blogs, where we’ve taken a deeper look at everything you need to know about Hell Let Loose: Vietnam.
Since the last time you joined us in Hell Let Loose: Vietnam during the Crossplay Playtest, the team has made a wide range of improvements and fixes in preparation for today’s launch.
From performance and stability improvements to gameplay, audio, and more, you can find a breakdown of some of the work completed since the playtest in our Top 5 Things To Know Before Launch blog.
We’ve also included a list of known issues that the team is already working to address as part of our upcoming live service updates.
Launch Maps
At launch, players will fight across six maps, each bringing its own unique environments, challenges, and opportunities for tactical gameplay. From dense jungles and remote villages, to waterways and open terrain, each battlefield will require you and your squad to adapt your approach to secure victory.
At launch, Hell Let Loose: Vietnam features four distinct game modes, with two returning from the original Hell Let Loose, alongside two brand-new modes making their debut in Vietnam.
The four game modes available at launch are:
Warfare
Offensive
Conquest
Domination
Learn more about each mode, how they work, and what you and your team will need to do to secure victory in our Game Modes blog.
Future Content
The launch of Hell Let Loose: Vietnam is only the beginning.
This week, we announced that the Hell Let Loose: Vietnam roadmap will be revealed on 19 August, giving you a first look at what’s ahead for the game. You won’t want to miss it!
As we enter live service, we also want to hear from you. Let us know what you’d like to see from Hell Let Loose: Vietnam in the future through our community channels and socials.
We’ve already started discussing some of what could be coming to Hell Let Loose: Vietnam through our recent Developer Q&A series. Check out the full Command Post Q&A series on our YouTube channel, or catch up with our Q&A summary blogs:
В настоящий момент в разработке у английской студии Expression Games находится Hell Let Loose: Vietnam . Онлайновый шутер выйдет на PlayStation 5 , Xbox Series X|S и PC ( Steam ) 13 августа и предложит масштабные сражения в формате «50 на 50».
В настоящий момент в разработке у английской студии Expression Games находится Hell Let Loose: Vietnam. Онлайновый шутер выйдет на PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S и PC (Steam) 13 августа и предложит масштабные сражения в формате «50 на 50».
What’s in the First Update 21 Experimental Branch Playtest? Hello everyone, Welcome to our first playtest for Update 21 coming later this year. Update 21 introduces a number of new additions, alongside significant changes to several core gameplay systems that we're excited for yo
What’s in the First Update 21 Experimental Branch Playtest?
Hello everyone,
Welcome to our first playtest for Update 21 coming later this year. Update 21 introduces a number of new additions, alongside significant changes to several core gameplay systems that we're excited for you to get hands-on with.
The Experimental Branch playtest will kick off Friday 7 August, at 6am PDT | 9am EDT | 2pm BST | 3pm CEST.
Conquest Mode
Many of you may have already had the opportunity to test Conquest in our v1 and v2 tests earlier in 2026. We are now excited to reveal that Conquest will officially be joining Hell Let Loose as part of Update 21 (as well as being one of the four game modes that will be in Hell Let Loose: Vietnam).
Conquest has gone through a lot of changes and iterations throughout its development and has been guided by much of the feedback we received after the previous two playtests.
If you're interested in learning more about how the new mode works, be sure to head over to watch the Dev Diary we released in conjunction with the first test where Matt and Xander break down the fundamentals of the mode.
As part of this test, we will be playing Conquest on two maps:
Juno Beach - Day
Carentan - Day
We can’t wait for you all to share your thoughts as this game mode will continue to be developed and updated based on community feedback.
Weapon Changes
New Weapons: M1903A3 and M1903A4 Springfield Rifle
We are excited to bring two brand new weapons to the game; the M1903A3 and M1903A4 Springfield Rifle.
The M1903A3 Springfield bolt-action rifle joins the US Forces, while the M1903A4 Springfield replaces the existing Springfield Sniper rifle.
More new weapons will be coming in future Experimental Branches so stay tuned!
Weapon Fire Selector
Next up, we have a feature that has long been requested by the community; the weapon fire selector. All weapons that historically featured fire select modes have now had that functionality implemented. You can now freely toggle fire modes on the following weapons
As part of this test, the playable maps feature the US, Canadian and German forces, so only weapons used by those factions will be available in matches. All other weapons can still be tested in the Practice Range.
MG34
FG42
STG 44
BAR (fast and slow auto)
Thompson M1
Thompson M1928a1
Bren Gun
Sten Gun MK2
Sten Gun MK2 (Canadian)
Sten Gun Mk5
PPSH 41
Please note, audio and animations for these fire select switches are a Work In Progress, and that fire modes can currently be toggled by pressing Caps lock on keyboard.
Loadout Changes
Update 21 will also be bringing a raft of loadout changes.
For this playtest, we would love to hear your feedback on loadout changes we are looking to implement:
Rifleman
New level 6 loadout for the US Rifleman called “Marksman”
Comes equipped with a M1903A3 Springfield and an explosive ammo box
For the experimental branch the role will have no level requirement in order to let players try it out
Tank Commander
US tank commander’s default loadout weapon changed to the M3 Grease Gun from the Thompson
Default Crewman
The blowtorch equipment is now available on all default Crewman loadouts
Technician Wrench
Added the ability to build nodes with the Technician wrench
Anti-tank
Primary weapon for the default US Anti-tank role changed from the M1 Garand to the M1903A3 Springfield
Handling Changes
Alongside loadout changes, the team have also been looking at a number of handling changes to improve how they feel. Please keep an eye out for the following experimental changes whilst you play.
Weapon Sway
The first experimental change affects several rifles, as we have increased their weapon sway when looking around. This only affects them visually and should have no impact on accuracy when aiming.
This has currently been applied to the following weapons:
M1 Garand
M1903A3 Springfield
Kar 98k
SMLE No 1 MK III
All non-sniper Mosin Nagant variants
These changes are experimental so be sure to give feedback if you prefer these, or how they worked previously.
Recoil Changes
We have made two small recoil based changes to the Bren Gun and the STG 44.
For the STG 44, we have given it a small recoil increase. For the Bren Gun, we have made two specific changes. These are:
A greatly reduced visual screen shake
And slightly increased recoil
Previously the Bren Gun had little to no recoil but a high amount of screen shake when firing, making it appear to have more recoil than it actually did. This has now been adjusted, with a slight recoil increase to better match the reduced visual shake.
Armor & Vehicle Changes
Vehicle Spawn Limit
To kick things off, we have introduced a new Vehicle Spawn Limit. We have upped the limit from 5 to 8 for vehicles spawned from Commander abilities.
We are looking at this change for a few reasons. Firstly, after our recent changes in Update 20 including making jeeps and halftracks cheaper, we wanted to make sure that commanders didn't feel punished for spawning vehicles in and accidently limiting the amount of tanks that could be spawned. Likewise, this also gives players increased choice whilst also preparing for any future vehicles that may come to the game…
Luchs Balance
The next change comes specifically to the Luchs tank.
With the Luchs being a primary Anti-Infantry Light tank, it has historically had little to no impact on other enemy armor. For this Experimental Branch playtest, we have done a slight rework on the Luchs and it can now do the following:
Can damage the engines of all tanks
Can damage and destroy any Light from the rear. Recon tanks are a Work In Progress but will behave the same
We can’t wait to hear your thoughts on these changes after playtesting the Luchs at the weekend.
Armor Balance
Armor has undergone a significant balance pass to better define the role of each tank class
Heavy tanks have been rebalanced towards an anti-tank role, carrying more Armor Piercing (AP) ammunition with reduced High Explosive (HE) capacity, while Medium tanks now specialise in anti-infantry combat, carrying more HE ammunition at the expense of AP rounds. The Sherman Jumbo 75 remains the exception, retaining its role as a heavy anti-infantry tank
HE shell blast radius have also been adjusted to reinforce these roles, with Medium tanks receiving larger a blast radius than most Heavy tanks to make them more effective against infantry
Additional balance changes include:
Increased turret rotation speeds for several German and British tanks to improve responsiveness
Firefly damage increased to improve its effectiveness against armor
Fuel costs adjusted for the Panzer IV and Sherman Medium
Improved low-speed handling for the Sherman Medium
Experimental collision and physics improvements for the Panzer IV aimed at reducing instances of tanks flipping or launching unexpectedly
All SPAs now include an extra gunner zoom level, providing improved long-range target acquisition
Additionally, we have also enacted some changes to tank survivability
Increase to heavy tanks' front hull resistance (32% → 36%) and side hull resistance (16% → 28%)
Increase to Panther tank upper side hull resistance (16% → 23%)
Increase to medium tanks' front hull resistance (16% → 30%)
Salvage Balance
Finally on armor changes, all vehicles have had their salvaged fuel returns increased from between 1.5x to 2x times their previous amount.
Please share your feedback on all the Armor changes following the playtest, with the full details as well as further Armor balancing being revealed for Update 21.
Prone Collision Updates
This Experimental Branch introduces a Work In Progress update to how player collision works when prone. This has been designed to reduce instances of player models clipping into walls, terrain and other environmental objects while prone.
As part of this system, players may notice their character being gently pushed when rotating near obstacles to prevent clipping.
This is an early implementation, and we're aware of existing issues, so we'd appreciate you putting it through its paces and sharing your feedback via the feedback form.
Join the Playtest - War Correspondent Server Slam Event
Thank you to everyone joining this weekend's Experimental Branch. Your feedback plays a vital role in shaping Update 21, so please be sure to complete the feedback form after you've had a chance to play. We look forward to hearing your thoughts and we'll see you on the battlefield.
If you'd like to get involved, the Experimental Branch will be live throughout the weekend. To help fill the servers and put these new features through their paces, SoulSniper, TheFreshBakedGoods, RubberDuck and many more members of our War Correspondent programme will be hosting a 'Server Slam Community Event'.
Join us on Saturday 8 August at 10am PDT | 1pm EDT | 6pm BST | 7pm CEST, jump into the Experimental Branch on Steam, and join the action!
War Correspondents Content
As always, our War Correspondents have been on the front-lines creating some incredible content. Check out some of their latest releases below:
McBluffin
First up, McBluffin gets some tips from the BEST players in Hell Let Loose. You don't want to miss this one
Our third hotfix for Update 20 is now live. This hotfix fully resolves the DirectX 12 issue introduced with Update 20. Players can now switch to DX12 in the settings and have the option save correctly. Additional fixes include: Fixed a visual seam on Juno Beach Fixed the No. 77 S
Our third hotfix for Update 20 is now live.
This hotfix fully resolves the DirectX 12 issue introduced with Update 20. Players can now switch to DX12 in the settings and have the option save correctly.
Additional fixes include:
Fixed a visual seam on Juno Beach
Fixed the No. 77 Smoke Grenade and Mills Bomb appearing in incorrect loadout slots for the Canadian Veteran loadout
Fixed an issue where tank shells could continue unloading after exiting the Tank Gunner seat
Thank you for your continued support and feedback. We'll continue monitoring reports and keep you updated on future fixes and improvements.
War Correspondents Content
As always, our War Correspondents have been on the front-lines creating some incredible content. Check out some of their latest releases below:
Following the release of Hotfix 1 last week, we're deploying Hotfix 2 to address the DirectX 12 crashes affecting AMD GPU users, reintroduce the Update 20 frontend, and resolve a number of issues across Juno Beach, vehicles, customisation, and more. We've also addressed one of th
Following the release of Hotfix 1 last week, we're deploying Hotfix 2 to address the DirectX 12 crashes affecting AMD GPU users, reintroduce the Update 20 frontend, and resolve a number of issues across Juno Beach, vehicles, customisation, and more.
We've also addressed one of the most common areas of community feedback since Update 20's release with a targeted armor balance adjustment.
Armor Balance
We have also made a balance pass on engine health values across most armored vehicles in response to feedback from Update 20.
Since Update 20 launched, we've heard your feedback regarding Anti-Tank Launchers being able to disable Medium Tank engines too easily. Whilst the resistance system is intended to help mitigate damage, it currently does not apply to engines.
With that in mind, we've adjusted engine health values to improve survivability and create more consistent gameplay interactions.
Engine Health Adjustments
All Medium Tank engines have had their health increased by 100.
All Heavy Tank engines have had their health increased by 50, including the Firefly, Panther, and Churchill A.V.R.E.
All other Self-Propelled Artillery (SPA) engines have had their health increased by 100.
Note from Corey in the Armor team:
"We hope you've been enjoying Update 20 so far. We will continue to iterate on and refine Armor gameplay in future updates, with the goal of creating clearer battlefield roles for each tank class while staying true to our long-term vision.
Our primary objective is to deliver the best possible gameplay experience for all players. Achieving that requires continued feedback from the community, so please keep sharing your experiences and suggestions with us. Keep an eye out for any Experimental Branch tests in the future. Experimental Branch tests remain the best environment to try upcoming features, test balance changes, and provide feedback directly to the team."
Catch Corey, alongside Matt & Xander, answer community questions in latest HLL Dev Livestream.
Fixed an issue preventing Canadians from placing Outposts and Garrisons in sections of the beach.
Fixed multiple collision inconsistencies affecting vegetation across the map.
Fixed an issue preventing players from shooting through barn windows.
Fixed some spawning issues including one inside an inaccessible church area where players could become stuck.
Fixed multiple floating assets and visual anomalies across the map.
Fixed a visible red bounding box appearing above the Canadian HQs.
Performance & Stability
Fixed DirectX 12 crashes affecting AMD graphics card users when loading into Tobruk, El Alamein, and Stalingrad.
Fixed performance issues and frequent freezes reported on Xbox Series X|S across Juno Beach and related map variants.
Vehicles
Fixed an issue preventing vehicle wheels from being repaired using the blowtorch.
Fixed an issue where the German Luchs cannon would not display a cause of death when eliminating players.
Customisation & DLC
Fixed an issue preventing the T-34 Medium Tank DLC skin from being previewed and equipped on the summer variant.
Fixed an issue where purchasing the Veteran Smolensk Offensive DLC would unintentionally unlock Operation Suvorov.
Fixed an issue preventing players on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S from customising roles after using the customization menu multiple times.
Storefront & Newsfeed
Fixed an issue where the "Available For Purchase" button in the Additional Content menu had no functionality on Epic Games Store.
Fixed an issue causing errors when accessing Wishlist and Pre-Order links through the Newsfeed on Epic Games Store.
Please continue sharing your feedback through Discord, Reddit, Steam, and our Support Team channels. Your reports continue to help us identify, investigate, and resolve issues as quickly as possible.
Thank you for your continued support, and we'll keep you updated as work progresses.
War Correspondents Content
As always, our War Correspondents have been on the front-lines creating some incredible content. Check out some of their latest releases below:
Thank you to everyone who has been playing Update 20 since its release last week, and to those of you who have continued sharing feedback on Juno Beach, the Canadian Forces, and the armor rework. Today we're releasing our first Hotfix for Update 20, addressing a number of issues
Thank you to everyone who has been playing Update 20 since its release last week, and to those of you who have continued sharing feedback on Juno Beach, the Canadian Forces, and the armor rework.
Today we're releasing our first Hotfix for Update 20, addressing a number of issues reported by the community, including the DirectX 12 crash affecting certain AMD graphics card users.
This hotfix includes:
To address the DX12 crashes, we have temporarily reverted the game's previous frontend version from Update 19 as part of this Hotfix. This change allows us to resolve the crashing issue while we continue work on the full frontend implementation introduced in Update 20. Once the underlying issue has been fully resolved, we intend to restore the Update 20 frontend in a future update.
Fixes for a number of visual and environmental issues on Juno Beach, including floating objects, terrain seams, and water rendering issues.
Fixes for several front-end and DLC-related issues, including character previews not updating correctly and the Tanker Suit not appearing for the Artillery unit.
Improvements to the Newsfeed following it’s introduction in Update 20.
Fixes for Canadian Forces content, including the Canadian Transport Truck wreckage behaviour.
We're continuing to investigate community reports and are already working on a second Hotfix.
Please keep sharing your feedback through Discord, Reddit, Steam, and our Support Team channels, as your reports continue to help us identify and resolve issues as quickly as possible. Thank you for your continued support and we'll keep you updated as work progresses.
Firstly a huge thank you to everyone who has jumped into Update 20 over the past 24 hours. It's been great seeing so many of you playing Juno Beach and trying out the new armor changes. Thanks to your feedback, we've been able to identify a few issues that we're working to resolv
Firstly a huge thank you to everyone who has jumped into Update 20 over the past 24 hours. It's been great seeing so many of you playing Juno Beach and trying out the new armor changes.
Thanks to your feedback, we've been able to identify a few issues that we're working to resolve as quickly as possible, including a WinStore issue, and a DX12-related crash affecting certain graphics cards,
DX12
We're currently targeting a fix for this issue on Monday morning, and we'll share more information on an upcoming hotfix addressing other reported issues as soon as we can.
If you are experiencing these crashes, please remove the DX12 launch option in Steam or switch to DX11 in the game's settings as a temporary workaround.
WinStore
This morning we deployed a server-side update that resolves an issue preventing Windows Store players from accessing servers.
In order for the fix to take effect, server owners will need to ensure their servers have been updated. If you manage a server, please contact your GSP and apply the update as soon as possible.
Windows Store players who are still unable to join servers are encouraged to reach out to server owners and confirm that the latest server update has been installed.
Please continue sharing any bugs, issues, or feedback with us here on Steam, on Reddit, in the #U20-feedback forum on the the Discord, or sharing directly with our support team. Your reports are helping us identify, investigate, and resolve issues as quickly as possible.
🍁 Update 20 is live now on all platforms! Coinciding with the 82nd anniversary of D-Day, Update 20 introduces Juno Beach to Hell Let Loose, bringing players back to the Normandy coastline during the opening stages of the Allied invasion of occupied France. Designed to stand apar
Coinciding with the 82nd anniversary of D-Day, Update 20 introduces Juno Beach to Hell Let Loose, bringing players back to the Normandy coastline during the opening stages of the Allied invasion of occupied France.
Designed to stand apart from both Omaha Beach and Utah Beach, Juno Beach has been built to support a wide range of gameplay styles and combat encounters. From dense urban fighting and industrial strongholds, to open rural fields, navigable waterways and fortified defensive positions, the map offers a varied battlefield that evolves as the front-line shifts inland.
Hello everyone, and welcome to Update 20! This update coincides with the 82nd anniversary of D-Day, and with it, we are returning to Normandy as we deploy onto Juno Beach alongside the long-awaited Canadian Forces. From new weapons, vehicles, and uniforms, to major armor overhaul
Hello everyone, and welcome to Update 20!
This update coincides with the 82nd anniversary of D-Day, and with it, we are returning to Normandy as we deploy onto Juno Beach alongside the long-awaited Canadian Forces.
From new weapons, vehicles, and uniforms, to major armor overhauls, balance changes, quality of life improvements and bug fixes, Update 20 introduces a wide range of additions and refinements across the game.
We also want to take a moment to thank everyone who participated in the Experimental Branch tests ahead of release. Your feedback, bug reports, gameplay clips and discussions have been invaluable in helping us identify issues, refine balance, and shape the final release of this update.
Now, let’s dive into everything arriving with Update 20.
Juno Beach
Map Rationale
Update 20 introduces Juno Beach to Hell Let Loose, bringing players back to the Normandy coastline during the opening stages of the Allied invasion of occupied France.
Designed to stand apart from both Omaha Beach and Utah Beach, Juno Beach has been built to support a wide range of gameplay styles and combat encounters. From dense urban fighting and industrial strongholds, to open rural fields, navigable waterways and fortified defensive positions, the map offers a varied battlefield that evolves as the front-line shifts inland.
The map has also been designed around the introduction of the Canadian Forces, recreating the difficult advance through heavily defended coastal positions and into the towns and countryside beyond the beaches.
Across Juno Beach, players will encounter a diverse range of environments, including:
Urban close-quarters combat spaces
Enterable churches and vertical fighting positions
Industrial dockyards and warehouses
Navigable river networks
Open countryside and wheat fields
Dense hedgerows and trench systems
Fortified Atlantic Wall defences
Below, we’ll take a closer look at each of the capture points featured across Juno Beach.
Capture Points
Regina Landing
Regina Landing features the more rural outskirts of Courseulles-sur-Mer, where rugged terrain creates a natural defensive perimeter that the Canadian Forces must navigate in order to reach the town. The capture point offers dominant sightlines and strong strategic opportunities for defending forces.
Bunker R612
Part of the formidable Atlantic Wall defensive network, Bunker R612 stands as a heavily fortified strongpoint overlooking the coastline. Surrounded by barbed wire and difficult terrain, it presents a dangerous challenge for attacking forces attempting to push inland from the beaches.
WN29
Serving as one of the final defensive positions before Courseulles-sur-Mer, WN29 features a formidable bunker overlooking the beach, the remnants of which still remain today. The tough-to-crack German Forces defensive line provided a challenge for the advancing Canadian Forces to push through.
La Platine
La Platine features the next line of the German defensive occupation, featuring a fortified checkpoint built around close-quarters combat encounters. Juxtaposed with wide open flooded fields that force players to make tactical decisions when attacking or defending the sector.
La Marina
La Marina is a sprawling industrial shipyard used for marina storage and repairs. Featuring a mixture of open courtyards, narrow industrial lanes and enterable warehouses, the capture point creates tense vehicular navigation opportunities alongside intense infantry combat.
Héroult House
As players enter the maritime town Courseulles-sur-Mer, Héroult House becomes a key staging ground for some of the map’s early urban engagements. The Capture Point features a unique oyster farm that provides micro-elevation opportunities, alongside enterable buildings that overlook one another across tight streets and courtyards.
Graye-sur-Mer
Graye-sur-Mer served as a strategic stronghold during the war, and players approaching from the north will need to navigate deep waterways, tactical bridge crossings and difficult terrain to gain control of the area. At the centre of the capture point stands an enterable church that provides a strong elevated position for both attackers and defenders.
Le Seulles River
The Le Seulles River introduces a traversable water network that allows players to move more freely through the rural areas of the map. Dense hedgerows lining the waterways provide natural cover and create opportunities for a more dynamic and unpredictable combat space.
Market Square
Situated within the once-bustling fish markets of Courseulles-sur-Mer, Market Square delivers a dense urban environment focused on building-to-building movement, strategic gardens and long streets that create dangerous sightlines for infantry and vehicles alike.
Weapons Factory
Serving as an industrial hub for German war production, the Weapons Factory stands as a dense and imposing stronghold. Its sprawling layout and multiple entry points allow it to be approached from several directions, encouraging coordinated assaults and intense close-quarters combat.
Le Sentier Seulles
Le Sentier Seulles opens the waterway network into shallower crossing points for both infantry and vehicles, shifting the combat focus away from the marina and back into the rural countryside. The Capture Point also features a prominent farmstead and orchard that provide additional cover and defensive opportunities.
Road to Bény-sur-Mer
This commune acts as a natural transition point between the built-up village spaces and the open countryside beyond. Surrounding wheat fields provide tall soft cover for advancing players, while also offering long sightlines toward the distant Église Saint-Germain Church.
Graye-sur-Mer Outskirts
Leaving behind the denser urban areas, Graye-sur-Mer Outskirts expands into a more traditional rural battlefield, featuring rough terrain, shallow waterways and smaller defensive strongholds scattered throughout the countryside.
Radar Station
Hidden amongst the hedgerows, the Radar Station forces players to navigate trench systems and German Forces defensive positions in order to capture this close-quarters objective.
Chem De La Lampe
Situated deep within the rural heartland, Chem De La Lampe represents the final frontier of the Canadian advance across the map. Wheat fields provide tall soft cover for advancing infantry, while entrenched German defensive positions create strong opportunities for counter-attacks.
Canadian Forces
Update 20 marks the introduction of the Canadian Forces to Hell Let Loose.
Arriving alongside Juno Beach, the Canadian Forces bring a new selection of weapons, vehicles and cosmetics inspired by the Canadian participation in WW2.
This new Canadian Force is the perfect fit for the new Juno Beach map and recognises the Canadian participation in WW2.
Weapons
The Canadian Forces arrive equipped with a selection of new and returning weaponry, including:
Canadian-manufactured Sten Mk II
Enfield No.2 Mk I
FN-Inglis No.2 Mk I
Lanchester
Rifle No.4 Mk I
Vehicles
The Canadian Forces also introduce a new transport and supply truck, alongside historically accurate markings across their armored vehicle roster.
The full vehicle lineup includes:
Transport Truck
Supply Truck
Jeep
Daimler
Half-Track
Stuart
Sherman M4A3
Sherman Firefly
Churchill Mk III A.V.R.E.
Uniforms
New Canadian cosmetics have been added across multiple roles, including:
Commander
Infantry
Recon
Armor
Artillery
Canadian and Allied Artillery Squads
Following changes introduced in Patch 19.1, Artillery squads are able to equip both tanker and infantry cosmetics to better represent both static artillery crews and self-propelled artillery units.
Due to the Churchill Mk III A.V.R.E. historically being crewed by British forces, players using the Canadian Artillery squad on Juno Beach will be able to switch between Canadian and Allied appearances within the Barracks customization menu.
The Canadian variant can only equip infantry uniforms, while the Allied variant can equip tanker uniforms.
Armor Changes
For Update 20, we set out to deepen the armor gameplay experience with a range of impactful new features and balance improvements.
With the introduction of the new Armor Resistance System, tank combat has been reworked to place a greater emphasis on positioning, armor knowledge and coordinated engagements. These changes are designed to reward skill-based shots and deepen the tactical decision-making involved in armored warfare.
Alongside the new resistance mechanics, Update 20 also introduces Smoke Launchers and Shell Unloading, providing tank crews with new tactical and quality of life tools during combat.
To support these new systems, a full balance pass has been carried out across all armored vehicles. Health pools, armor values, damage outputs, ammunition counts, fuel costs and cooldowns have all been reviewed and adjusted in order to create clearer vehicle roles and establish a stronger foundation for future armor updates.
These changes also pave the way for the new tank type planned for a future update. Keep an eye out for more details soon…
Armor Resistance System
All tanks now feature a new Armor Resistance System. Armor thickness now provides percentage-based damage reduction depending on the strength of the impacted armor plate.
The updated resistance values are:
Heavy frontal armor now provides 32% resistance, increased from 25%
Medium frontal armor and Heavy side armor now provide 16% resistance, increased from 15%
Light frontal armor, Medium side armor and all rear armor now provide 8% resistance, increased from 5%
With the updated health pools, damage values and resistance system now in place, armored combat will follow the below engagement expectations when damaging hull armor:
Heavy Damage
Against Heavy tanks:
3 shots to the front
2 shots to the side and rear
Sherman Firefly:
2 frontal shots against Heavy tanks
Against Medium tanks:
2 shots
Against Light and Recon tanks:
1 shot
Medium Damage
Against Heavy tanks:
3 shots to the side
2 shots to the rear
Against Medium tanks:
2 shots
Against Light and Recon tanks:
1 shot
Light Damage
Against Heavy tanks:
3 to 4 rear shots
Against Medium tanks:
3 shots
Against Light and Recon tanks:
1 to 2 shots
Recon Damage
Against Heavy tanks:
5 to 6 rear shots
Against Medium tanks:
4 to 6 shots
Against Light and Recon tanks:
2 to 3 shots
Smoke Launchers
A selection of tanks have now been equipped with Smoke Launchers, allowing tank commanders and spotters to deploy smoke for additional cover during combat.
On PC, smoke can be activated using the Spacebar, while controller players can deploy smoke using Right Bumper / R1.
Smoke launcher systems differ depending on the vehicle:
Some tanks deploy smoke internally
Some deploy externally from turret-mounted launchers
Others generate smoke through exhaust systems
Internal and external launchers fire in the direction the turret is facing, while exhaust-based systems require the engine to be running and the vehicle to be stationary or in neutral.
Tanks Equipped With Smoke Launchers
Single-Shot Launchers
Jumbo Sherman 75
Churchill Mk.VII
Churchill Mk.III
Panther
Cromwell
Dual-Shot Launchers
Sherman Firefly
Tetrarch
Six-Shot Launchers
Tiger
Exhaust Fuel Injection
IS-1
We’ll continue investigating the addition of smoke systems to other historically appropriate vehicles in future updates.
Armor Overhaul
With the new resistance system in place, the current health and damage values needed adjusting. Health adjustments for more survivability and damage adjustments for more impact in a fight; both of which are key traits on Heavy tanks.
Heavy Tank Updates
Medium Tank Updates
Light & Recon Tank Updates
Half Track, Truck & Jeep Updates
SPA Updates
With the introduction of the new Armor Resistance System, all Self-Propelled Artillery vehicles, with the exception of the Churchill A.V.R.E., have received an increase to their anti-tank damage values. As the A.V.R.E. already bypasses armor, no changes were required.
These adjustments are intended to offset the effects of the new resistance calculations and maintain a similar performance profile against armored targets compared to previous updates.
The Bishop SPA has also had its munitions cost reduced.
SPA Outpost Destruction
When SPAs were first introduced, their shells were able to destroy enemy Outposts. This functionality was originally intended to provide Self-Propelled Artillery with a unique role distinct from static artillery.
Following the balance adjustments and improvements introduced in Patch 19.1, SPAs can no longer destroy Outposts through explosive damage alone. However, like all other vehicles, they remain capable of destroying Outposts through direct proximity.
Armor Values
As part of the wider armor overhaul, a number of vehicles have received adjustments to their armor profiles. These changes are intended to better reflect the strengths and weaknesses of their historical counterparts while maintaining balance within Hell Let Loose.
Heavy Tanks
The top armor of all Heavy tank turrets has been reduced. Light tanks can now penetrate this area.
Panther
Top hull armor reduced. Light tanks can now penetrate this area.
Side hull armor adjusted:
Upper side armor increased. Only Medium tanks and above can penetrate.
Lower side armor behind the tracks reduced. Light tanks and above can penetrate.
Turret front armor increased. Only Heavy tanks can penetrate.
Turret side armor adjusted. Medium tanks and above can penetrate.
Turret rear armor reduced. Light tanks can now penetrate.
Sherman Firefly
Front hull armor reduced. Medium tanks can now penetrate.
Side and top hull armor reduced. Light tanks can now penetrate.
Turret front, side and rear armor reduced. Medium tanks can now penetrate.
Medium Tanks
Side hull armor on all Medium tanks has been reduced. Light tanks can now penetrate these areas.
Panzer IV
Turret side and rear armor reduced. Light tanks can now penetrate.
Light Tanks
Front hull armor on all Light tanks, excluding the T-70, has been reduced. Light tanks can now penetrate frontal armor.
Recon Tanks
Armor values on all Recon vehicles have been slightly reduced.
Anti-Tank launchers should now destroy Recon vehicles in a single hit.
Self-Propelled Artillery
Brummbär
Lower frontal hull armor reduced. Medium tanks can now penetrate this section.
KV-2
Turret mantlet armor increased. Only Heavy tanks can penetrate.
Panzer III Ausf. N
Side hull armor reduced. Light tanks can now penetrate.
Bishop
Side hull armor increased. Medium tanks and above can penetrate.
Additional Armor Changes
Salvage Balance
Now that most of the vehicles have had a fuel balance pass, the amount of fuel and time taken to salvage have been updated. Here are the updated values:
Heavy - 60 fuel in 12 seconds.
Panther and Jumbo 75 - 40 fuel in 10 seconds.
Medium - 20 fuel in 8 seconds.
Light - 15 fuel in 6 seconds.
Recon - 10 fuel in 4 seconds.
Half Track - 15 fuel in 6 seconds.
Truck - 5 fuel in 3 seconds.
Jeep - 5 fuel in 3 seconds.
Shell Unloading
Shell Unloading has now been introduced across all armored vehicles, allowing tank crews greater flexibility when adapting to changing combat situations.
Unload times are determined by vehicle class:
Heavy Tanks (including Panther): 4 seconds
Medium Tanks (including Jumbo Sherman 75): 3 seconds
Light and Recon Tanks: 2 seconds
Churchill A.V.R.E.: 6 seconds
Brummbar: 5 seconds
Tank Commander and Crewman Loadouts
Tank Commander and Tank Crewman loadouts across all factions have now been updated to include a hammer.
This allows armored crews to assist with constructing defences and provides a faster way to salvage destroyed vehicles during combat operations.
Anti-Tank Updates
All Anti-Tank Launchers ammo count decreased from 3 → 2.
Damage increased from 330 → 420.
Anti-Tank Gun for all factions damage increase from 400 → 535.
As always, our resident armor War Correspondents, Fresh and Raz, have been hard at work updating the HLL Armor Hub with all of the latest Update 20 vehicle statistics and analytics.
Whether you're looking to compare vehicles, learn the strengths and weaknesses of each tank, or take your first steps into armored warfare, be sure to check out the updated Armor Hub website!
Other Changes
Player Reporting Tool
As a feature to improve player safeguarding, players are now able to report another player with a reason for reporting and add an optional written message to provide more information. This data helps support evidence gathering and enables action against individual players when necessary.
Bipod Deployment in Prone
As part of the wider prone improvements, we've made a number of updates to how bipod-deployed players operate.
Players deploying bipods on uneven terrain, slopes and hillsides should now appear more naturally aligned with the ground beneath them. This helps reduce instances of characters appearing to float above the terrain or clip into the ground when viewed by other players.
These improvements also allow player animations to better adapt to changes in terrain and positioning while deployed, resulting in a more consistent and realistic visual experience.
Newsfeed Feature
Whilst in the main menu in-game, you will now find a “Newsfeed” section that will take you to the latest Dev Briefs, Changelogs, and more.
Quick Play Improvements (Console)
Following player feedback since the introduction of Quick Play, we’ve made improvements to how the system finds suitable matches, particularly for players joining as part of a party.
Previously, Quick Play could sometimes place players into servers where there were not enough available spaces for every party member to join the same team. To help reduce the chance of this happening, Quick Play will now avoid servers that are already at capacity, even if they still have open queue slots.
We’ve also increased the number of free spaces required before a server is considered suitable for a party. This buffer now scales based on party size, helping ensure there is enough room for everyone to join together.
Players can still manually join server queues through the Server Browser.
Rifle No.4 Mk1 Change
For both the British and Canadian forces, the Rifle No.4 Mk1 has had its fire rate increased by 40% to bring it in line with the fire speed of the SMLE.
Bug Fixes
General
Player T-poses when seat switching in transport trucks and half-tracks
No UI indication when the auto balance threshold prevents the user from joining a team
Bandages hint clauses are missing the "and" connector
M1918A2 Bar is offset to the left when the bipod is deployed
The Veteran M38 and Tactical M38 helmets are missing information tooltips in the Barracks tab
Undescriptive error messaging when entering a password server while disconnected
No error message is shown when attempting to access a server while disconnected
Field Manual
New tank features like unloading shell and commander smoke disperser are not mentioned in the field manual
Support crate page is outdated
Searching for blank character returns SPA article
The field manual equipment tab presents incomplete information in several chapters
The field manual deployables nodes tab presents outdated information
The Remagen map description mentions the main bridge being the only avenue across the river
The field manual combat artillery assembly tab presents wrong information
The artillery observer is missing from the leadership and officer markers tab
Half-Track
Anti-tank mines and satchels sometimes deal less carryover damage to the half-track than expected when placed to the side
Remagen
Players are able to hide by going prone next to a ramp
SPA
German Brummbar SPA presents larger track hitboxes than intended
The turret cupola on the US SPA M4A3 105mm Howitzer presents 100% carry over damage to the hull
Repairing with the blowtorch the fighting compartment, turret mantlet or barrel of any SPA will cause the tracks to be repaired
Steam
Player is unable to access vehicles using a controller
Community Update
There is loads happening in the community currently. First up, tomorrow we will be livestreaming after the Update goes live over on the Hell Let Loose Official Twitch, showing off the new update to the community. Be sure to jump into the chat and get chatting!
Introducing our New WCs
Next up, we have also been on a recruitment drive for the war effort, and we are excited to announce our next set of War Correspondents who have recently been drafted into the programme. If you missed the first set, be sure to read Dev Brief #218!
“You may have seen me around as "Smithers" on the battlefield and from one of my many live streams for competitive matches or public servers.
I do my best to provide intense tournament coverage, strategic analysis, hilarious moments, and the kind of battlefield storytelling that makes every match feel like a war movie. During that whole time I really try to educate the viewers as well as far as what is going on and what might the teams be thinking about in command chat.”
If you're interested in competitive HLL you can join Smither’s Discord Server and sign up as a PC or Console Recruit.
RubberDuck is a self-described “German psycho who takes the game way too seriously. A Hell Let Loose veteran who offers not only tutorials, strategic gameplay analyses, news, and his own gameplay footage, but also casts esports clan wars, complete with occasional emotional outbursts.”
He hosts his own game and discord servers, where you’ll find yourself surrounded by an army of duckies.
Welcome everyone to the Update 20 Experimental Branch. After our previous test earlier this month on Juno Beach, we are returning this weekend with our Update 20 Exp Branch complete with our latest map Juno Beach , the Canadian Forces, and a host of armor changes that we cannot w
Welcome everyone to the Update 20 Experimental Branch. After our previous test earlier this month on Juno Beach, we are returning this weekend with our Update 20 Exp Branch complete with our latest map Juno Beach, the Canadian Forces, and a host of armor changes that we cannot wait for you to experience.
For more information on Juno Beach and the Canadians, head over to Dev Brief #217. In this blog we will dive deeper into some of the upcoming armor changes that you can expect in Update 20 and during your testing this weekend.
We are also excited to reveal some of our brand new War Correspondents joining the programme. Be sure to read on to find out more.
Armor Changes
With a lot of tanks having new health values, new damage outputs and the damage resistance system in place, the following rules will apply when landing shots on armor hull:
Heavy damage on Heavy health = 3 shots to the front, 2 shots to the side and rear.
The Firefly, with its increased damage output, will only need 2 shots to the front on other Heavies
Heavy damage on Medium health = 2 shots.
Heavy damage on Light and Recon health = 1 shot.
Medium damage on Heavy health = 3 shots to the side, 2 shots to the rear.
Medium damage on Medium health = 2 shots.
Medium damage on Light and Recon health = 1 shot.
Light damage on Heavy health = 3 to 4 shots to rear.
Light damage on Medium health = 3 shots.
Light damage on Light and Recon health = 1 to 2 shots.
Recon damage on Heavy health = 5 to 6 shots to rear.
Recon damage on Medium health = 4 to 6 shots.
Recon damage on Light and Recon health = 2 to 3 shots.
There are also a number of changes being made to specific tanks. The following are a handful of tanks being balanced to fit these new rules. All tanks have been balanced but here is a small preview of what is to come:
German Forces
Panther
This balance change is to make a clear distinction between the Tiger I and the Panther. While both classed as Heavy tanks, the Panther has kept its damage output as a Heavy but now has the health as a Medium. These changes are also reflected in its fuel cost and armor values detailed later on.
Hull Health - 1170 → 930
Turret Health - 990 → 850
Tracks Health - 910 → 730
Engine Health - 550 → 480
Turret Rotation - 12 → 10
AP Ammo Count - 40 → 45
HE Ammo Count - 40 → 30
Fuel Cost - 600 → 430
Cooldown - 600 → 420 seconds
British/Canadian
Sherman Firefly
Similar to the Panther, the Firefly has had big adjustments. It now has the health of a Medium tank and changes to its armor values, however has seen a large increase to its damage. This is to reflect its role as a tank killer.
Hull Health - 1180 → 900
Turret Health - 1020 → 830
Tracks Health - 920 → 710
Engine Health - 580 → 460
Turret Rotation - 10 → 12
AP Damage - 850 → 920
Fuel Cost - 600 → 560
Cooldown - 600 → 630 seconds
US
Sherman Jumbo 75
During gameplay, players will still tend to lean towards the 76 version of this tank. With its adjusted values and cheaper cost, the 75 is now more of a point control menace. Its high HE count and large HE explosion radius, this tanks primary function is anti-infantry. If players aim to destroy enemy tanks, the 76 is still the go to.
Hull Health - 1170 → 1230
Turret Health - 1050 → 1020
Turret Rotation - 14 → 12
AP Damage - 700 → 710
HE Ammo Count - 60 → 65
Fuel Cost - 600 → 410
Cooldown - 600 → 430
We will add even more information to the Update 20 Changelog, so be sure to tune in once it drops in June.
Armor Values
We have also made changes to armor values on tanks. These changes are to better reflect their real world counterpart but balanced within the world of Hell Let Loose:
Heavy Tank
Top of Heavy turrets decreased. Lights can now pen this armor.
Panther updates:
Side hull decreased. Lights can now pen this armor.
Turret front increased. Only Heavies can pen this armor.
Turret sides and rear decreased. Lights can now pen this armor.
Firefly updates:
Front hull decreased. Mediums can now pen this armor.
Side hull decreased. Lights can now pen this armor.
Turret front, side and rear decreased. Mediums can now pen this armor.
Medium Tank
Side hull of all Medium tanks decreased. Lights can now pen this armor.
Panzer IV updates:
Turret sides and rear decreased. Lights can now pen this armor.
Light Tank
Front hull on all lights, not including the T-70, decreased. Lights can now pen this armor.
Recon Tank
All armor on Recon tanks have been decreased slightly. AT launchers should destroy these tanks with 1 shot.
Armor resistance changes
All tanks now feature a new Armor Resistance system. Armor thickness now provides a percentage based damage reduction depending on its thickness. The values have been updated from feedback.
Heavy frontal armor now provides a 32% resistance, up from 25%.
Medium frontal armor and Heavy side armor now provides a 16% resistance, up from 15%.
Light frontal armor, Medium side armor and all rear armor now provides a 8% resistance, up from 5%.
Fuel Balance
With the new resistance system and balance changes, a fuel cost balance was required. This involved updating armor fuel costs as well as other vehicles. All fuel updates apply to each category of vehicle, across all factions. The new values for vehicles are:
Half Track
Fuel Cost - 300 → 150
Cooldown - 300 → 240 seconds
Trucks
Supply
Fuel Cost - 100 → 70
Cooldown - 90 → 75 seconds
Transport
Fuel Cost - 100 → 50
Cooldown - 90 → 60 seconds
Jeep
Fuel Cost - 80 → 30
Cooldown - 300 → 180 seconds
Salvage Return Balance
Now that most of the vehicles have had a fuel balance pass, the amount of fuel and time taken to salvage have been updated. Here are the updated values:
Heavy - 60 fuel in 12 seconds.
Panther and Jumbo 75 - 40 fuel in 10 seconds.
Medium - 20 fuel in 8 seconds.
Light - 15 fuel in 6 seconds.
Recon - 10 fuel in 4 seconds.
Half Track - 15 fuel in 6 seconds.
Truck - 5 fuel in 3 seconds.
Jeep - 5 fuel in 3 seconds.
Smoke Launchers
We’re excited to announce that a select few tanks will be gaining a new weapon; smoke launchers.
Set in the Commander/Spotter seat, players will now be able to fire smoke grenades, pressing Spacebar on PC and Right Bumper/R1 on controller, for some extra cover.
Smoke launchers can be different on a tank by tank basis. Some fire internally, some fire externally and some generate smoke from their exhausts. We’ll reveal the full list on the Update 20 changelog, however test them out this weekend and let us know your thoughts!
Shell Unloading
As previously mentioned in Dev Brief #217, all tanks now feature the option to unload a fully loaded shell. If you are in a situation where you have the wrong shell loaded, you can now simply unload it. No more firing the shell and revealing your location.
Tank Commander and Crewman Loadouts
For each faction, both the Tank Commander and Tank Crewman have had all their loadouts updated meaning that they both now carry a hammer. This will allow them to help out in building structures and have an easier time salvaging vehicles as you play.
Anti-Tank Updates
We have also made changes to the Anti-Tank role, with the rocket count reduced to 2 whilst damage increases (330 → 420), as well as the Anti-Tank Gun for all factions seeing a significant damage increase (400 → 535).
Community Update
There is loads happening in the community currently. First up, tomorrow we will be livestreaming when the Exp Branch goes live over on the Hell Let Loose Official Twitch showing off the new update to the community. Be sure to jump into the chat and get chatting!
Introducing our New WCs
We have also been on a recruitment drive for the war effort, and we are excited to announce our next set of War Correspondents who have recently been drafted into the programme.
McBluffin
“McBluffin here! I have been playing Hell Let Loose for many years, on my channel you will find community/game analysis, updates on future projects and epic/hilarious gameplay all saturated with excessive sarcasm and buffoonery. See you on the battlefield.”
“Anti-Nonsense Nonsense Zone - Providing the hottest gameplay and coverage from deep down in the trenches to commanding in the back lines. We're here to game, but most of all, entertain and have fun with the community. Nonsense vibes encouraged. Content channels:”
“When I’m not deploying my machine gun, I spend my free time in admin cam, capturing footage from both public and private matches. I also take screenshots in the midst of the chaos, preserving the true visual fidelity of this game. You can find me on my TikTok account.
I also run a community of 66,000 on Facebook called “Hell Let Loose Fans”, dedicated to sharing those memories and clips of the battle. Join the community on Facebook today!”
Welcome back, folks, to our next Experimental Branch playtest. This time, we’re introducing our latest map: Juno Beach. Set during the D-Day +1 push inland, this update also brings the Canadian Forces into the fight, alongside a fresh set of changes to armor. The Experimental Bra
Welcome back, folks, to our next Experimental Branch playtest. This time, we’re introducing our latest map: Juno Beach.
Set during the D-Day +1 push inland, this update also brings the Canadian Forces into the fight, alongside a fresh set of changes to armor.
The Experimental Branch will launch Friday 1 May and will run through the weekend, closing on Monday 4 May.
Here’s what you can expect from this weekend’s playtest:
Juno Beach
The History of Juno Beach
Juno Beach was one of five landing sectors that formed Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Normandy on 6 June 1944. Positioned between Gold and Sword beaches, it was the second landing area from the eastern flank.
The assault began in the early hours of the morning, led by units of the Canadian 3rd Infantry Division. Facing strong German defences, the first waves suffered heavy casualties on landing. Despite this, Canadian forces pushed inland and, by the end of the day, had successfully secured the area.
Our depiction of Juno Beach is set on 7 June 1944, also known as D-Day +1.
By moving beyond the initial beach landings, we’ve been able to open up a wider variety of locations across the map. Players will fight across a diverse set of points of interest, including the marina, fish market, farmsteads, urban areas, rivers, and open fields.
The map flows from north to south, beginning at the coastline and pushing inland. Players will encounter a gradual incline along the coast, relatively flat terrain within built-up areas, and more varied elevation throughout the rural countryside.
As always, the map has been built with authenticity in mind, with capture points based on real-world locations. Some standout areas include:
Bunker R612
Part of the formidable fortress network defenses sat on the 'Atlantic Wall', Bunker R612 stands as a heavily fortified strongpoint overlooking the coastline.
Surrounded by barbed wire and difficult terrain, it presents a challenging objective for attacking forces. From this position, German defenders were able to command a clear and devastating view across the beach, making any advance a dangerous undertaking.
Le Suelles River
A traversable water network, the Le Suelles River opens up to allow players the freedom to navigate the rural areas.
Lined with dense hedgerows, it offers both opportunities for movement and natural cover, creating a more dynamic and unpredictable combat space.
Road to Bény-sur-Mer
This commune that contains a natural transition from built-up village spaces into the open rural countryside.
Surrounding wheat fields provide tall, soft cover for advancing players, whilst offering great views of Église Saint-Germain Church in the distance.
Weapons Factory
Serving as an industrial hub for German war production, the Weapons Factory stands as a dense and imposing stronghold.
Its sprawling layout and multiple access points allow it to be approached from all directions, creating intense close-quarters engagements and opportunities for coordinated assaults.
Juno Beach Tactical Map
To give you a glimpse of what’s to come, take a look at the tactical map for Juno Beach below.
Canadian Forces
As you may have already spotted from the map, the arrival of Juno Beach also marks the introduction of the Canadian Forces to Hell Let Loose.
We know this is something many in the community have been looking forward to, and the team has worked hard to ensure their inclusion reflects the accuracy and respect their role in World War II deserves.
Canadian Forces, Weapons and Vehicles
The Canadian Forces bring with them a range of unique weapons and vehicles, which we’re excited for you to experience during this Experimental Branch test.
The new weapons being added to the Canadian faction are:
A Canadian variant Sten Mk II
The FN-Inglis No.2 Mk I Handgun
The Enfield No.2 Mk I Revolver
The Lanchester SMG, re-entering the game with the Canadian Force
For more images of some of the upcoming Canadian equipment, be sure to follow us on your favourite social media platforms to catch all our community updates.
Alongside research carried out by our internal history team, we’ve also collaborated with Canadian military historian Alex Fitzgerald-Black to help bring this force to life. We look forward to sharing more about this collaboration in the future, and we’d like to thank Alex for his time and support throughout the process.
Work in Progress
Please note that the Canadian Force is still a work in progress, and there are a few things that are still being worked on before their full release in Update 20.
Canadian Helmets/headwear (Note: they are currently using the pre existing helmets as a placeholder)
Uniform icons
Characters are not holding some of the new Canadian weapons in the Role Selection screen
Canadian victory song (Note: this is currently a placeholder)
Canadian Artillery unit uniforms and heads selection is placeholder
Some of the new Canadian weapons have placeholder animations
Armor Changes
Armor Resistance System
All tanks now feature a new Armor Resistance system. Armor thickness now provides a percentage-based damage reduction depending on its thickness.
The thickest armor now provides a 25% resistance
This is applied to the front of all Heavy tanks
Mid-range armour now provides a 15% resistance
This is applied to the sides of Heavy tanks and the front of Medium tanks
The lightest armor now provides a 5% resistance
This is applied to the rear of all tanks and most of the armor on Light tanks
This system is designed to emphasise vehicle positioning for tank crews and encourage targeting and strategy for attacking players. Alongside this system, we will be looking into updating current armor values on all tanks to better reflect their real-world counterparts, e.g. the turret cheeks on the Panther tank.
Panther Balance Changes
The Panther tank has been rebalanced to better reflect its historical role between Medium and Heavy Tanks. While still classed as a Heavy in Hell Let Loose, its capabilities have been adjusted; weaker than standard Heavy tanks but stronger than Medium tanks. Adjustments include:
Reduced health in all components
Reduced damage output
Lower fuel cost
Shorter cooldown time
Future plans include updating its armor values, with similar changes planned for the Sherman Jumbo 75.
Stuart Handling
We have seen the issues the Stuart has, and we have been working hard in fixing it. You can now experience the new Stuart and its improved handling in this playtest. Try it out and let us know.
Anti-Tank Balancing
All Anti-Tank launchers and buildable guns have been rebalanced after player feedback and to align with the new resistance system.
AT Launchers
Ammo reduced back to 2
Damage increased for higher impact shots due to the reduced ammo
AT Guns
Damage increased to remain effective against the new resistance system
Tank Shell Unloading
All tanks now feature the option to unload a fully loaded shell. If you are in a situation where you have the wrong shell loaded, you can now simply unload it. No more firing the shell and revealing your location.
Known Issue: We’re aware of an issue where shell unloading currently has no audio. This will be resolved in Update 20.
Other
Leg Collision System Prototype
We’ve been doing some work behind the scenes, and for this Experimental Branch test we’ve introduced a prototyped update to the leg collision system aimed at reducing clipping issues whilst prone.
We’re keen to hear your thoughts on this change, so please share your feedback with us via the feedback form.
With the Experimental Branch going live this weekend, Glow’s Battlegrounds will be hosting a Juno Beach testing event from 8pm-midnight EST on Saturday 2 May.
Make sure you have your the Exp Branch downloaded and ready to go so you don’t miss it!
War Correspondents
To kick off, we have a new War Correspondents team on Twitch! Be sure to check out the team, and stay tune for some updates to this very soon…
The WCs have also been creating some great content recently. Be sure to check it out below:
If you're interested in playing Hell Let Loose: Vietnam, it’s time to enlist! Sign for beta testing today Announced during this year’s action-packed Galaxies Showcase , Team17 and Expression Games are thrilled to reveal that signups are now open for upcoming playtests. Players ca
Announced during this year’s action-packed Galaxies Showcase, Team17 and Expression Games are thrilled to reveal that signups are now open for upcoming playtests. Players can register their interest to be one of the first to step into the fury of the brutal Vietnam War using our registration link above or scanning the QR code in the trailer.
This explosive new trailer sets the stage with fierce aerial combat, claustrophobic firefights set in dense jungle environments and iconic patrol boats engaging in brutal strategic river pursuit.
Conquest Testing #2 Hello everyone, and welcome back to Conquest. Since our last test in February, we have been hard at work iterating on the mode based on your feedback, and we are excited to bring you the latest version in our Conquest v2 test. Your feedback has been essential
Conquest Testing #2
Hello everyone, and welcome back to Conquest.
Since our last test in February, we have been hard at work iterating on the mode based on your feedback, and we are excited to bring you the latest version in our Conquest v2 test.
Your feedback has been essential in shaping this iteration, and we want to continue building the mode alongside you. This test is another opportunity for you to jump in, experience the latest changes, and help guide the future of Conquest.
Conquest is also one of the brand new modes coming to Hell Let Loose: Vietnam later this year. If you want to help shape the experience across both titles, now is the perfect time to get involved.
As a reminder, this test will be available on the Steam Experimental Branch and will run throughout the weekend.
TDLR: What is Conquest Mode?
For those who missed our previous Conquest test, here is a quick overview of how the mode works and what sets it apart from Warfare and Offensive.
In Conquest, victory is determined by a resource called Morale. Both teams start with 1000 Morale, and the first team to reach 0 loses. If the match timer runs out, the team with the higher remaining Morale wins.
The mode features five active objectives, all of which can be captured at any time.
Teams lose Morale in two main ways:
Player Losses
Each time a player respawns, their team loses 1 Morale
This makes medics more valuable, as reviving players prevents Morale loss
Objective Control
Teams holding fewer objectives will suffer a Morale bleed over time
The rate of bleed increases depending on the objective difference:
1 objective disadvantage = 2 Morale lost every 10 seconds
2 objective disadvantage = 4 Morale lost every 10 seconds
3 objective disadvantage = 6 Morale lost every 10 seconds
Conquest rewards consistent pressure, teamwork, and map control, rather than a single decisive push.
Check out our February Dev Diary where Matt and Xander from our dev team introduced us to the Conquest game mode.
Now, onto the updates and new additions coming in this V2 test.
Updated: Capture point layout
Much like previous version of Conquest, there are five objectives arranged in a cross pattern. Each team has one objective positioned closer to their respective HQ, with the remaining three located centrally.
The key difference in this latest iteration is that the two side objectives are now controlled by their respective teams at the start of the match. This gives players time to establish garrisons and set up defences without needing to capture the territory first.
V2 Conquest Starting Map
V2 Conquest Side Objective Captured
Another key difference from the first Conquest test is how the side objectives affect territory control.
Previously, capturing a side objective would flip entire rows of territory. In this latest iteration, capturing a side objective will now only secure the four grid squares surrounding that objective, as shown in the image above.
This means the sectors above and below these objectives will remain permanently under the control of their respective teams. As a result, players will have more reliable areas to establish garrisons that cannot be lost when objectives change hands.
Similar to the Offensive game mode, players must be within the strongpoint to contribute towards capturing an objective.
Capture time remains at two minutes, though this may be adjusted based on player feedback.
New: “Rally the Troops” Commander Ability
One of the new additions to Conquest is a commander ability currently called “Rally the Troops.”
This ability costs 400 manpower and has a 15-minute cooldown.
When activated, it provides a 2-minute window during which the team will not lose Morale from player redeployment or vehicle destruction. Morale loss from objective control (bleed) will still apply.
This creates an opportunity for teams to coordinate high-impact pushes without being penalised for casualties.
We are also considering modifying this ability to halt all forms of Morale loss while active. However, we want to hear from you first, so please share your feedback on the current values before our next iteration.
New: Morale loss on vehicle destruction
During the previous playtest, we found that tanks were especially powerful, often achieving very high kill-to-death ratios. Players also noted that destroying enemy vehicles did not feel as impactful as it should in this mode.
To address this, vehicles will now apply a Morale penalty to their team when destroyed. These values are applied independently and do not include any additional Morale loss from the vehicle crew.
Morale loss per vehicle type:
2 - Transport/Supply Trucks and Light Vehicles
5 - Recon tanks
5 - Half tracks
7 - Light tanks
12 - Medium tanks
12 - SPAs
17 - Heavy tanks
This change places greater emphasis on armor and SPA crews staying alive, whilst also rewarding well-coordinated armor squads that successfully destroy enemy vehicles. It also increases the impact of effective anti-armor players by allowing teams to inflict greater Morale damage through vehicle destruction.
To prevent players sneaking into enemy HQs and destroying recently spawned vehicles, vehicles destroyed within HQ sectors will not incur any Morale penalty.
These values are subject to change based on feedback.
New: Half-track Spawns
At the start of the match, each HQ sector will now spawn with a Half-track. Similar to SPAs, these vehicles will not automatically respawn if they are destroyed.
New: Spawn protection
To address concerns around spawn camping and players dying immediately after spawning, a short grace period has been introduced.
For the first 6 seconds after respawning, the team will not lose any Morale if the player dies or redeploys.
Once this window expires, Morale loss will apply as normal.
Community Feedback Form
We cannot wait to hear your feedback and hope to see many of you in the Experimental Branch this weekend for some Conquest games.
Our Community Manager, Ben, will be going live on Friday alongside Xander and Matt from the development team to talk through Conquest and what is new in this latest iteration of the mode.
Join the stream and jump into the Experimental Branch to catch the action live and ask your questions.
Hello everyone, We have deployed a small hotfix addressing issues reported following the release of Patch 19.1. Thank you to everyone who shared feedback and reports with us. Your input continues to help us quickly identify and resolve issues. We are continuing to monitor feedbac
Hello everyone,
We have deployed a small hotfix addressing issues reported following the release of Patch 19.1.
Thank you to everyone who shared feedback and reports with us. Your input continues to help us quickly identify and resolve issues. We are continuing to monitor feedback and are working on further improvements thanks to your feedback.
Hello everyone, and welcome to Patch 19.1. This update introduces two major areas of change. The first is a refreshed version of Remagen, aimed at improving gameplay flow across the map while preserving the unique identity of the Ludendorff Bridge and its role as the centrepiece
Hello everyone, and welcome to Patch 19.1.
This update introduces two major areas of change.
The first is a refreshed version of Remagen, aimed at improving gameplay flow across the map while preserving the unique identity of the Ludendorff Bridge and its role as the centrepiece of the battlefield.
The second continues our work on artillery following the changes introduced in Update 19. Based on community feedback, this patch introduces a number of improvements to the artillery gameplay experience, including updates to static artillery, Self-Propelled Artillery (SPA) vehicles, and adjustments to the artillery squad itself.
We are looking forward to seeing you jump into Patch 19.1 and share your feedback. Community input has played a major role in shaping this update and will continue to guide future improvements.
Remagen has long been one of the most unique and challenging battlefields in Hell Let Loose. The Ludendorff Bridge provides an iconic setting, but the map has also generated a significant amount of feedback over time, particularly around the intense bottleneck that often forms around the bridge.
With this refresh, the development team has focused on improving gameplay flow across the map while preserving the core identity of Remagen as a tense and contested river crossing.
The aim is not to remove the challenge of attacking across the Rhine, but to give players more strategic options when pushing across the river and contesting objectives.
US Forces push to take the Ludendorff Bridge on 7th March 1945
Historical Update to Remagen
One of the most common questions following the refresh has been around the introduction of pontoon bridges and their historical context.
Set during the final months of World War II, Remagen has always aimed to recreate the Allied effort to capture the Ludendorff Bridge and establish their first major crossing across the Rhine River.
In the previous version of the map, we saw the events of 7th March 1945, when American forces captured the bridge before German troops could destroy it. In the days that followed, US engineers began constructing pontoon bridges nearby to reinforce the crossing and support the continued Allied advance into Germany.
With the Remagen refresh in Patch 19.1, the map’s historical setting has been moved forward to 12th March 1945, representing a later stage of the battle.
By this point, US engineers had completed multiple pontoon bridges across the Rhine, allowing Allied troops and armored vehicles to continue crossing the river while German forces attempted to destroy the growing bridgehead.
The Ludendorff Bridge itself would eventually collapse from the damage it sustained on 17th March 1945.
This refreshed version of the battlefield represents the moment when Allied forces had expanded their foothold across the Rhine, establishing a critical route deeper into Germany while still facing heavy resistance.
A U.S. antiaircraft battery guards a pontoon bridge built by the 291st Engineer Combat Battalion. [Source: ]
Additional River Crossings
A consistent piece of feedback surrounding Remagen has been the heavy reliance on the Ludendorff Bridge as the only viable crossing point.
To help reduce this bottleneck and introduce more tactical variety, additional crossing points have been added along the river.
These crossings provide both infantry and vehicles with alternative routes across the Rhine, opening up new flanking opportunities and reducing the likelihood of prolonged stalemates focused solely around the bridge.
The Ludendorff Bridge will still remain a key focal point of the map, but teams now have more options when planning their approach across the river.
Ludendorff Bridge Improvements
While additional crossings have been introduced, improvements have also been made directly to the Ludendorff Bridge itself.
The bridge has been widened and redesigned to improve player movement and combat flow during engagements across it. The gangway beneath the bridge has also been reworked, making it more accessible from both the bridge deck and the riverbanks.
These changes create more movement options around the bridge itself, allowing players to manoeuvre, flank, and reposition during battles around this key landmark.
Capture Point Improvements
We have also seen a lot of feedback from players requesting that the Ludendorff Bridge consistently appear as the central capture point on Remagen.
With this refresh we are testing a system where the bridge will be selected as the middle capture point by default.
This change ensures that the map’s most iconic location remains central to the battle while still allowing server owners to customise capture point selections if desired.
Improved Airhead Opportunities
Another challenge on Remagen has been the limited number of locations where commanders can successfully deploy airheads.
As part of this refresh, adjustments have been made to the surrounding terrain and river areas to create more viable airhead placement opportunities.
This introduces additional pressure points across the battlefield and requires defending teams to cover a wider area, helping to reduce the stalemates that can form when all fighting becomes concentrated around a single crossing.
Artillery Changes
Following the first wave of artillery changes introduced in Update 19, Patch 19.1 continues to expand on the artillery gameplay experience.
These updates aim to improve coordination within artillery squads, address frustrations around artillery placement and survivability, and introduce additional resource interactions with the wider team.
Artillery Squad Adjustments
Several updates have been made to the artillery squad itself to better define its role on the battlefield.
The Artillery Engineer role has been renamed to Operator, while Artillery Support has been renamed to Gunner. These changes reflect how their responsibilities have evolved with the addition of buildable artillery and expanded squad functionality.
The Artillery Observer loadout has also been adjusted. The sidearm has been removed from the first loadout and the AP mine has been moved to the second loadout. In addition, the Soviet artillery squad now uses the Mosin Nagant M38 for improved historical accuracy.
To better recognise the contributions of the Artillery Observer and the rest of the squad, artillery squads will now receive shared credit for kills achieved using primary artillery weapons. This applies regardless of if squad members are crewing the same vehicle/gun or are outside it.
This includes both static artillery guns and the main guns of SPA vehicles. Infantry weapons and the machine guns on SPAs will not count towards this.
This change ensures that players contributing through spotting, coordination, and squad leadership receive recognition for the role they play in artillery operations.
The default uniform of the artillery squad has also been changed. Now the Operator and Gunner roles will wear infantry uniforms, while the Artillery Observer will match the Officer and Spotter roles. While this is the new default, all roles within the squad will still be able to wear tanker uniforms if players want to better represent the aesthetic of an SPA crew.
Artillery Gameplay Changes
Several changes have been made to how artillery interacts with the wider resource and support systems.
Artillery guns positioned within the radius of a munitions node will now slowly generate ammunition. This applies to both shell types simultaneously but cannot go above the maximum capacity of 50 HE and 35 Smoke.
While the regeneration rate is intentionally small at one shell every 30 seconds, it should help the Artillery gun not be completely reliant on the Commander to resupply, while rewarding actions that benefit the entire team.
The commander artillery resupply ability has also had its cost reduced from 150 munitions to 120 munitions, making it slightly easier for teams to support artillery operations during extended engagements.
To reduce frustrating situations where artillery positions could be destroyed extremely quickly, the time required for enemy players to dismantle an artillery gun has been increased from 10 seconds to 30 seconds. High explosive weapons can still also destroy the gun.
These changes aim to make artillery operations feel more sustainable while still leaving them vulnerable to coordinated enemy action.
Static Artillery
One of the key goals of the artillery rework has been addressing the long-standing dynamic between recon squads and artillery players. Previously, artillery guns were locked to HQ locations, which often resulted in recon players repeatedly camping artillery positions while artillery players had little flexibility to respond.
With Patch 19.1, artillery squads can now build a static artillery gun anywhere within the first two sectors of their territory. This change allows artillery crews to reposition their guns and introduces more uncertainty for enemy squads attempting to locate them.
The gun is built by the Operator using 50 supplies, and only one artillery gun can exist per team at a time.
The cooldown between artillery guns remains shared between HQ artillery and player-built variants. If a gun is destroyed or dismantled by enemy forces, the same cooldown will apply before another gun can be deployed.
Friendly artillery squad members can dismantle their own gun using a hammer without triggering this cooldown.
To prevent exploitative placement, artillery guns will not fire if their barrel’s line of sight is blocked by nearby objects and they cannot be built on highly uneven terrain.
Self-Propelled Artillery (SPA) Updates
Self-Propelled Artillery vehicles have received several gameplay improvements aimed at making them feel more flexible and distinct.
The operational range limit for SPAs has been removed, allowing them to move freely across the battlefield without triggering an out-of-bounds timer.
SPAs can now also fire while moving at first gear speeds or slower, allowing crews to reposition more dynamically during combat.
This is determined by the current velocity of the vehicle meaning that if you came to a stop while in fourth gear, you would still be able to fire without having to drop gears.
SPA Vehicle Balance Changes
All SPA vehicles have received individual stat adjustments to better differentiate their battlefield roles.
SPAs were designed to focus on a hybrid playstyle between longer range indirect fire and close-range high explosives. With these new changes, while all SPA units will still be capable of both the above-mentioned playstyles, some will perform better at one or the other.
As a small additional element, the AP rounds of SPAs have been replaced with HEAT rounds (High-explosive Anti-Tank) as these were the AT rounds most of these units would have used due to their slower projectile velocity. The exceptions to this are the KV-2, the Bishop and the Churchill A.V.R.E.
Currently this is just a name change (aside from the already existing unique proprieties that SPA shells have). This is likely to change with future updates.
As many players have correctly pointed out, several of these units were historically labelled as assault guns. Whilst assault guns are often classified as a type of Self-Propelled Artillery, these new changes aim to better represent this aspect of their design.
The Sherman 105 remains one of the most well-rounded SPAs, receiving a turret speed increase and a HE radius decrease, while maintaining most of its original characteristics.
The KV-2 now has a slightly increased explosion radius and slower reload but keeps its previous weapon range.
The Sturmpanzer (Brummbär) now features improved frontal armour and an increased blast radius, at the cost of a slight range decrease and reload speed, making it particularly strong in direct assaults.
The front hull armour has been upgraded from heavy to very heavy. This only affects the front plate section and not the corners, sides and rear of the superstructure which can still be penetrated by medium tanks.
The Churchill A.V.R.E has received the most dramatic changes, now firing its unique “Flying Dustbin” projectile (the official codename for the Petard spigot mortar this unit fired). This round delivers extremely high damage and a large explosion radius but comes with significant drawbacks including a much shorter firing range, slower projectile speed, and a long reload time.
This projectile is unique in that, other than its listed stats shown above, like satchel charges, the contact damage is applied directly to the hull health of a tank, meaning a direct hit from this projectile will be fatal to any enemy vehicle in the game.
Similar to the HE shells fired by other SPAs, the explosion created by the shell has armour penetrating properties, meaning even a near miss can be damaging to enemy armour. The damage has high range fall-off, so it won’t one shot armour outside of a direct hit.
The cost to spawn the A.V.R.E has been increased to 360 munitions to reflect its explosive power and its nature as a heavy tank.
The Bishop now leans further into its role as a dedicated artillery platform, with an increased firing range of 800m.
Much like its real-life counterpart, due to its low barrel height, this maximum range can be exceeded by placing the unit facing up a slope or hill and using the terrain to further increase the turret elevation, although an Observer would likely be required to accurately hit targets using this method.
Meanwhile the Panzer III Ausf. N sacrifices some firepower and range in exchange for faster turret rotation and quicker reload speeds, making it the most agile SPA option.
Other Changes
Flare Gun Rework
The flare gun has also been reworked.
Previously, players could repeatedly redeploy in order to bypass the weapon’s intended downtime, allowing for nearly constant flare coverage.
Flare guns now operate on a standardised cooldown per individual player. This works similarly to how supply box cooldowns currently operate, where once a flare is fired, a five-minute cooldown begins before another can be used. This cooldown persists even if the player dies, redeploys, or changes roles. This change applies to both Recon and Artillery roles.
We are interested to hear your feedback on these changes, and whether you would like to see any changes to how this works such as cooldowns by using nodes, etc. Let us know in the comments and feedback!
Console Quick Play Update
The Find Match option on PS5 & Xbox Series X|S is now the fastest way for you and your party to jump into our Official Hell Let Loose servers
The Enlist screen is still available for community servers or servers hosting a specific map and/or game mode.
This change lays the foundation for more filters and search options in future updates. We’d love to hear your feedback on this so we can continue to make improvements
Bug Fixes & QOL Improvements
Bipod
[BIPOD] No third person perspective SFX is present for partial and full reloads of the BAR when deployed on a bipod
[BIPOD] FG42 bipod will clip through the player character hand when deploying
Death Screen
[Death Screen] Cause of death is empty when dying due to bleeding out
[Death Screen] Cause of death string is empty when dying due to drowning
[Death Screen] Cause of death string is empty when dying due to fall damage
[Death Screen] UI string missing for melee kills
Kharkov
[Kharkov][H2] Piles of snow has no collision with the player
Purple Heart Lane
[PHL] Multiple assets are misaligned with the environment on sector G4
RCON
[RCON] Conquest mode incorrectly appearing in RCON entries on Release branch
[RCON] V2 Client gets progressively laggy and stops working after some time
[RCON] Being punished by the admin will not display the cause of death or the admin message
Remagen
Multiple visual and performance improvements made across the Remagen map
Sainte-Marie-du-Mont
[SMDM] [H8] A puddle's texture looks unnatural
Sainte-Mère-Église
[SME] Outposts can be built inside a specific building asset
Smolensk
[SMO] [E6] Player can spawn inside an inaccessible building using an outpost
[SMO] [C6] Trench area presents with multiple asset misalignments
[SMO] [H4] Small world seam visible near destroyed buildings in numpad 1
[SMO] [E6] Two wall assets present an observable gap that players can shoot through in numpad 1
[SMO] [E3] Crater by the edge of the road presents edges that are misaligned with the ground in numpad 4
[SMO] [H5] Rubble pile asset missing both bullet and player collision
[SMO] [A5] Entire trench area presents multiple assets with misalignment issues
[SMO][F5] A world seam is present between sectors
[SMO] [G4] Multiple assets are misaligned with the environment
[SMO][H6] The rubble pile is misaligned with the environment
[SMO][I7] A mud pile is misaligned with the ground in sector I7
[SMO] [G8-H8] Fortress wall has extended player and bullet collision near crumbled areas
[SMO] [G5] Players can enter blocked off building using another building's window
[SMO] Player can spawn inside inaccessible buildings using an outpost
[SMO] Katyusha strikes will only spawn from the Axis side on second usage of the ability
[SMO] The German Offensive-Smolensk Dusk shows Night instead of Dusk during loading screen
[SMO] [Skirmish] Players deploying at the Soviet HQ2 can be spawned with the Out of Bounds timer active
[SMO][A5] Trench is missing from the Tac Map
Stalingrad
[Stalingrad] [B6] Steel pillar looks to be levitating instead of touching the ground on a conveyor belt
[Stalingrad] The player can clip through multiple surfaces while deploying the MG while prone
Community Feedback & Ongoing Improvements
Thank you to everyone who has continued to share feedback with us since Update 19 launched in December, both through regular play and the Experimental Branch playtests we have been running over the past month.
It has been great to see so many players helping us improve Hell Let Loose through their feedback, as well as testing builds for Patch 19.1 and the [url="https://www.hellletloose.com/blog/dev-brief-213-conquest-playtest"]upcoming Conquest mode. Your feedback continues to play a major role in shaping these features.
Alongside the changes included in Patch 19.1, the team is continuing work on a number of additional bug fixes and quality of life improvements across in-game systems, as well as further updates to armour gameplay.
We know many of these areas are important to the community, so we wanted to keep you informed that improvements are actively in progress.
We look forward to sharing more on these in future updates. In the meantime, please continue to share your feedback and report any issues via the Customer Support team, either on the Hell Let Loose Support website or on our Hell Let Loose Official Discord server. This helps ensure that your feedback is seen directly by the development team.
War Correspondents Content
As always, our War Correspondents have been on the front-lines creating some incredible content. Check out some of their latest releases below:
Hello everyone, Firstly, a huge thank you to everyone who has jumped into the Experimental Branch to test the Remagen refresh over the past week. We have already received a significant amount of feedback from the community, and the team has been reviewing it closely as we continu
Hello everyone,
Firstly, a huge thank you to everyone who has jumped into the Experimental Branch to test the Remagen refresh over the past week. We have already received a significant amount of feedback from the community, and the team has been reviewing it closely as we continue to refine the map ahead of the next update.
For those who may have missed the previous briefing, you can read more about the Remagen refresh here: Dev Brief #214 – Remagen Refresh
Quick Overview of the Key Changes on the Remagen Refresh
This refresh focuses on improving the overall gameplay flow of the map while maintaining the core identity of Remagen as a tense and contested river crossing. Key improvements include:
Updates to the Ludendorff Bridge, including widening and improved access to the gangways beneath.
Additional river crossings to reduce the bridge bottleneck.
Terrain adjustments to create more opportunities for airhead placements.
Capture point improvements, including testing the bridge as the default middle capture point.
We will dive into the full details of the Remagen refresh, including the reasoning behind these changes, in the Patch 19.1 changelog closer to release.
The Ludendorff Bridge has been widened as part of the Remagen Refresh
Historical Update to Remagen
One of the key discussion points we have seen following the refresh is the addition of pontoon bridges and their historical relevance.
As part of the Remagen refresh, the historical date shown on the map has also been updated. The date displayed on both the loading screen and tactical map now reads 12 March 1945, replacing the previous date of 7 March 1945.
Updated Loading Screen
This adjustment reflects the wider timeline of the battle and the operational use of pontoon bridges used by Allied forces to cross the Rhine. Historical references indicate these crossings were constructed by 11 March 1945, following the initial capture of the Ludendorff Bridge, and prior to the bridge’s collapse on 17 March 1945. Updating the in-game date allows the map to better represent this later stage of the Operation.
A U.S. antiaircraft battery guards a pontoon bridge built by the 291st Engineer Combat Battalion. [Source: ]
New Changes in the Experimental Branch
Alongside continued testing of the Remagen refresh, tomorrow (Friday 13th March 2026) will see a brand new Experimental Branch build introduced, featuring a range of artillery and SPA changes that will be coming to the game in the next patch.
These adjustments focus on improving balance, squad roles, and overall gameplay interactions around artillery systems.
Feedback forms
Feedback Form: [url="https://forms.office.com/e/rEr9bRW8fN"]Hell Let Loose - Patch 19.1 – Fill in form
Several changes have been made to how artillery interacts with the wider resource and support systems in Hell Let Loose.
Artillery gameplay changes include:
Artillery guns will now slowly generate ammunition when positioned near munitions nodes.
The current rate is one shell every 30 seconds affecting both HE and Smokes at the same time.
The total can’t go above the normal cap of 50 HE and 35 Smoke.
The munitions cost for artillery resupply has been reduced. Was previously 150 munitions, is now 120 munitions.
The dismantle time when an enemy player is attempting to dismantle a friendly artillery gun has been increased to 30 seconds.
Static artillery placement has been updated to improve positioning and usability.
The Operator role can build an artillery gun anywhere in the first two sectors of their team’s side of the map.
It can not shoot through walls.
The cooldown between this placed artillery gun, and the versions found in HQs are shared.
These adjustments aim to improve resource management and reduce some of the frustrations surrounding artillery placement and usage.
Static Artillery is loaded by the Artillery Squad
Artillery Squad Adjustments
The artillery squad has received several updates to better define its role and responsibilities on the battlefield.
Artillery squad changes include:
The Artillery Squad has seen a few name changes:
‘Artillery Engineer' role has been renamed to 'Operator'
'Artillery Support’ has been renamed to 'Gunner’
The Artillery Squad now receives credit for kills performed by artillery weapons.
This kill sharing applies to all members of the artillery squad.
This only works with the Static Artillery gun and the primary gun of the SPA, infantry weapons and the MGs of SPAs don’t count for this.
Adjustments to the Observer loadout, including weapon changes for improved faction authenticity.
The Observer has had it’s sidearm removed from the first loadout.
Their AP mine has been moved from the first loadout to the second loadout.
The default bolt-action rifle of the Soviet artillery squad (for arty support and arty engineer) has been changed to the Mosin Nagant M38
A rebalance of the flare gun, which now operates on a universal cooldown across artillery and recon roles.
The Artillery Operator’s buildable options have been reduced to streamline the role.
They can no longer build barbed wire and bunkers. These felt too powerful to be included in the kit and instead should be a strength of the regular Engineer role
These changes aim to improve coordination between artillery crews and the wider team.
Static Artillery in action
Self-Propelled Artillery (SPA) Changes
Self-Propelled Artillery vehicles have also received several improvements designed to make them feel more distinct and effective.
SPA changes include:
SPA vehicles can now move and fire while travelling at first gear speeds or slower. They will not be able to fire while moving faster than this.
Adjustments to SPA firing behaviour so that rounds now travel more directly toward their target.
The range calculation has also been corrected, meaning raising the barrel now increases range as expected. This should also reduce instances where shells followed unnatural trajectories.
Players can still elevate the barrel beyond the calculated range to compensate for terrain elevation differences.
Balance adjustments and stat changes to help differentiate each SPA vehicle
The full stats tables will be added to the Patch 19.1 Changelog.
The operational range limit for SPAs has also been removed
These changes are intended to make SPAs more flexible and tactically useful on the battlefield.
US SPA on the Ludendorff Bridge
Join Our Organised Experimental Branch Playtest
To help gather more gameplay feedback, we will be hosting an organised Experimental Branch playtest session on Friday after the Experimental Branch update goes live.
This session will be hosted by Community Manager Ben B live on the Hell Let Loose Official Twitch channel, where we will be playing matches on the Experimental Branch alongside members of the development team and the community.
Playtest Start Time: Friday 13 March 2026
10:00 PST
13:00 EST
17:00 GMT
18:00 CET
04:00 AEST (next day)
If you want to take part, make sure you have the Experimental Branch installed on Steam and jump into the servers when the session begins.
If you are unable to join the matches directly, you can still tune in to the stream and join the conversation in chat as we discuss the changes and gather feedback.
Hello everyone, Firstly, thank you to everyone who jumped into the recent ‘Conquest’ mode Experimental Branch test . We received a huge amount of feedback from the community, and the Conquest design team are already hard at work reviewing it and making improvements to the mode. T
Hello everyone,
Firstly, thank you to everyone who jumped into the recent ‘Conquest’ mode Experimental Branch test. We received a huge amount of feedback from the community, and the Conquest design team are already hard at work reviewing it and making improvements to the mode.
Today’s Experimental Branch update shifts focus to another area of the game, with a refresh of the Remagen map.
This map refresh introduces several gameplay improvements aimed at addressing long-standing community feedback while preserving the unique identity of the map and its focus on the Ludendorff Bridge.
Remagen Map Refresh
Remagen has long been known as one of Hell Let Loose’s most unique and challenging battlefields. However, the map has also generated a significant amount of feedback from the community over time, particularly around the bridge bottleneck and the difficulty of breaking through defensive positions.
With this refresh, the development team has focused on improving gameplay flow across the map while maintaining the core identity of Remagen as a tense and contested river crossing.
The goal is not to remove the challenge of attacking across the Rhine, but to provide players with more options for how battles unfold.
We will dive deeper into the Remagen Refresh in our full changelog for Patch 19.1 closer to release.
Remagen Refresh Eastern Crossing
Additional River Crossings
One of the most common pieces of feedback surrounding Remagen is the heavy reliance on the central bridge as the only viable route across the river.
To reduce this bottleneck and create more opportunities for flanking and manoeuvring, the map now features additional crossing points along the river.
These new crossings are designed to give both infantry and vehicles alternative routes across the Rhine, helping to alleviate the intense choke point that often forms around the bridge.
The Ludendorff Bridge will still remain a key focal point of the map, but teams will now have more strategic choices when attempting to push across the river.
Remagen Refresh Western Crossing
Ludendorff Bridge Updates
Whilst we have added new crossings to the map, we have also made improvements to the Ludendorff Bridge itself.
The bridge has been widened and redesigned to improve player movement and combat flow during engagements across it. In addition, the layout of the gangway beneath the bridge has been reworked to make it more accessible from both the top of the bridge and from the riverbanks.
These changes aim to open up additional movement options for players and create more opportunities for flanking and tactical positioning during battles around this key landmark.
Remagen Refresh Ludendorff Bridge
Improved Airhead Opportunities
Another challenge on Remagen has been the limited number of locations where commanders can successfully deploy airheads.
As part of this refresh, adjustments have been made to the river and surrounding terrain to create more viable airhead placement opportunities.
These changes aim to introduce additional pressure points across the map, requiring defenders to cover a wider area and reducing the likelihood of stalemates forming around the bridge.
Remagen Refresh Terrain
Capture Point Improvements
We also saw a lot of feedback from players asking for the middle row capture point to always be the Ludendorff Bridge. With the Remagen refresh, we are testing a new system where the bridge will be selected as the central capture point by default. This will not affect server owners’ ability to choose which capture points they want from each column or row.
Known Bugs & Issues
Remagen loading screens and map thumbnails may appear as placeholders or be missing.
Some artillery-related issues may occur during this build, including:
In some cases, artillery assets may not deploy correctly after a map change.
Static artillery may incorrectly fire through certain tall environmental assets.
Some placeholder visual assets may appear on certain items. These are debug elements used during development and have no gameplay impact.
This Experimental Branch update focuses specifically on testing the Remagen refresh and gameplay flow improvements.
Next week, we will be releasing another Experimental Branch build that introduces additional gameplay updates, including artillery and SPA changes. We will share more details on those updates when the build goes live.
Until then, we encourage players to jump into the Experimental Branch, try out the updated Remagen, and share your feedback with the team.
Your input will help us refine these changes ahead of the next patch release.
SPA on Remagen
Community Update
First up, we want to give a big shoutout to the incredible SoulSniper for reaching 100k subscribers on YouTube. Be sure to check out his content when you get the chance! One of his recent videos linked below.
Welcome to the 2026 Steam Free Weekend Celebration Welcome in, soldiers, to our 2026 Steam Free Weekend Celebration. For some of you, especially those waiting for Hell Let Loose: Vietnam to launch later this year, this may be your first time stepping onto the battlefield in Hell
Welcome to the 2026 Steam Free Weekend Celebration
Welcome in, soldiers, to our 2026 Steam Free Weekend Celebration.
For some of you, especially those waiting for Hell Let Loose: Vietnam to launch later this year, this may be your first time stepping onto the battlefield in Hell Let Loose. For others, you may already be thousands of hours deep into the war.
Whether you are a hardened veteran or a fresh blueberry, we cannot wait to see you on the frontlines with us this weekend.
Recon: SoulSniper dives into "How to play Recon Class" and operate effectively behind enemy lines, along with several other in depth tutorials.
Armor: RazBora shares his “5 Top Tips for Tanks”, helping you dominate the battlefield in armor. Fellow tanker TheFreshBakedGoods also has more powerful tutorials on the way so be sure to follow the course playlist on YouTube.
Infantry roles: Competitive maestro DasAltberg has been putting together exceptional role base guides for those looking to elevate their infantry gameplay.
Resources and nodes: Want to understand how the economy of war works? Gebatron has created the ultimate node & resource breakdown to get you up to speed.
During our 2025 Free Weekend, we also published a beginner’s guide over on our website. If you are looking for even more detail, be sure to check that out as well.
The Fundamentals
At its heart, Hell Let Loose is about teamwork.
If you remember nothing else this weekend, remember this:
Communicate
Talk to your squad. A coordinated unit is always stronger than a silent one.
Stick together
Running off alone rarely ends well. Move with your team and support one another.
Play tactically
This is not a run and gun shooter. Think before you push. Positioning, patience, and planning win battles.
Ultimately, the best way to learn is by jumping in and experiencing it for yourself.
Hell Let Loose: Vietnam
We know many of you are excited for Hell Let Loose: Vietnam, arriving later in 2026.
If you are enjoying your time on the WWII frontlines this weekend, this is just the beginning. Be sure to follow us across our social channels for the latest updates. We will be sharing more information very soon, and you will not want to miss it.
Now gear up, squad up, and we will see you on the frontlines.
Introducing Conquest Hello everyone, Today, we are excited to share more details on our upcoming 50v50 game mode, Conquest. We have been hard at work developing this mode over the past development cycle, and it has gone through multiple iterations to reach the version you will be
Introducing Conquest
Hello everyone,
Today, we are excited to share more details on our upcoming 50v50 game mode, Conquest.
We have been hard at work developing this mode over the past development cycle, and it has gone through multiple iterations to reach the version you will be learning about here, and now you have got the opportunity to test it early on Steam via our Experimental Branch.
As we mentioned back in Dev Brief #211, we have introduced a new approach to testing. Our Community Manager, Ben B, has broken down how this works in our February Dev Diary video, where he has also been joined by Matt, Creative Director at Expression Games, and Xander, Game Designer at Expression Games, who share further insight into how Conquest has progressed behind the scenes.
As a reminder, Conquest is still a work in progress, and this test is an opportunity for the community to help shape the final version of the mode and ensure it is the best it can be. Please be sure to submit your feedback directly to the devs using the form linked below, as your input is essential to Conquest’s development.
Conquest is a new 50v50 symmetrical game mode built around sustained territory control and morale management.
Unlike existing modes, victory in Conquest is not achieved through a single decisive push. Instead, teams must balance controlling objectives over time while actively reducing the enemy team’s morale through combat.
Each team begins the match with a fixed pool of morale. Morale is gradually depleted through player redeployments and through holding fewer objectives than the opposing team. The first team to run out of morale loses the match.
To secure victory, teams will need to consistently apply pressure, win firefights, and maintain control of the majority of objectives for extended periods, rather than relying on short bursts of momentum.
Conquest features five capture points spread across the map:
Three central objectives positioned evenly between both teams
One objective on the left side of the map
One objective on the right side of the map
Mock-up demonstrating the average placement of capture points
Unlike in Warfare and Offensive, all capture points are active at all times and can be captured in any order. This means teams are not forced into a linear push and are instead encouraged to flank, probe weak defenses, and capitalize on unguarded objectives.
Basic visual mock-up of conquest territory control
Using the in-game grid system, capturing objectives affects territory ownership differently depending on their position:
Capturing any of the three central objectives grants control of only the grid square that objective sits within
Capturing the left or right objective grants control of the entire row/column of territory on that side of the map
Because of this, the outer objectives are more strategically valuable, as they influence a much larger portion of the battlefield.
In this initial community test, the maps that we will have available for you to play include:
Smolensk
Foy
Carentan
Smolensk In-Game Conquest Tac Map
Foy In-Game Tac-Map
Morale and Win Conditions
Morale is the core resource that determines victory in Conquest.
Each team starts the match with a set amount of morale. Once a team’s morale reaches zero, the match ends immediately and the opposing team wins. If the match timer expires, the team with the higher remaining morale is declared the winner.
In this initial version of the Conquest mode, we have set the starting figure at 1000 morale per faction.
You will be able to see the current morale standings as part of the UI at the top of the screen, similar to how Warfare and Offensive UI systems operate. As with all aspects of this test, please do give us your feedback on the current morale values, and whether you’d like to see any alterations to this.
Conquest UI
There are two ways morale is lost during a match.
Morale Bleed
When one team controls the majority of capture points, the opposing team begins to lose morale over time. The rate of morale bleed increases based on how many more objectives one team controls compared to the other.
For example:
A one objective advantage causes a slower rate of morale bleed
A larger objective advantage results in morale draining more quickly
This encourages teams to contest objectives constantly and prevents matches from stagnating.
For this upcoming playtest, the following morale bleed will be in effect. Please note that this is subject to change with player feedback.
1 Territory Advantage = -2 morale per 10 seconds
2 Territory Advantage = -4 morale per 10 seconds
Full Territory Advantage = -6 morale per 10 seconds
Morale Depletion Through Redeployments
Every time a player redeploys, whether manually or due to being killed, one unit of morale is lost for their team.
There are a few important exceptions:
A player’s first deployment into a match does not cost morale, including players who join mid-match
Redeployments during the warm-up phase do not reduce morale
This system reinforces the importance of survival, coordination, and avoiding unnecessary losses.
Capturing a Sector
Capturing objectives in Conquest uses a familiar strong point system, with players inside the strong point contributing three times the capture weight.
Captures are decided by total capture weight, not player count alone.
Importantly, all captures always take two minutes, regardless of how many players are present. Player numbers only determine which team is capturing, not how quickly the capture progresses.
For example, a smaller group positioned directly inside the strong point can out-capture a larger force spread across the wider area if their total capture weight is higher.
There is also a three minute warm-up phase at the start of the match before objectives can be captured or combat begins.
Conquest Starting Vehicles
Conquest is designed to remain fully symmetrical.
Since factions in Hell Let Loose share similar vehicle capabilities, both teams will begin matches with identical vehicle line-ups.
Starting vehicles are subject to change for balancing purposes, but during this test each team will begin with:
One Transport Truck at each of the three HQs
One Supply Truck at one HQ
One Medium Tank at one HQ
One Light Tank at one HQ
One Recon vehicle at one HQ
One Self-Propelled Artillery (SPA) vehicle at HQ #3
One pre-placed Jeep at every HQ.
First Public Test Focus
This first Conquest test is focused on validating the core structure of the mode.
We are primarily looking at:
Objective flow and pacing
Morale drain rates and match length
How players approach territory control and flanking
Whether the balance between combat and objective play feels right
Some values, including morale bleed rates and starting assets, are still work in progress and may change between tests.
What Comes Next
This test is the first step in refining Conquest alongside the community.
Your feedback will directly influence how the mode evolves, from balance changes to broader structural adjustments. Future tests will build on what we learn here, and we will continue sharing updates as development progresses.
Starting now, (Friday 20 February 2026), we have launched our latest Experimental Branch build on Steam. Through this branch, players will be able to join our early test builds, provide real-time feedback, and help shape Conquest up until release.
As with previous Experimental Branch builds, server owners can host their own community servers on the branch. If you are wanting to organise community games on the Exp Branch, please contact your GSP who can move your server onto the branch for testing using your own RCON tools.
Head to the Properties section of the Hell Let Loose app on Steam. Do this by right clicking on Hell Let Loose, or hitting the settings cog within the Steam page.
Go to Betas, and then select ‘experimental_branch’
The “None” option is the default/main branch that has the current Update 19 build.
The “experimental_branch” right now has the new Conquest game mode included.
Community Update
With server owners able to bring their community servers over onto the Experimental Branch, we are sure to see many events taking place in the coming week to try out the new Conquest mode. One such event is being hosted by the DraftHAUS & SoulSniper's SOF.
This will be kicking off at 2pm EST on Saturday 21st February. Make sure you have the Exp Branch downloaded and ready to go so that you don't miss it!
War Correspondents Content
As always, our War Correspondents have been on the front-lines creating some incredible content. Check out some of their latest releases below:
D-Day Landings - Map created by the 
US Forces push to take the Ludendorff Bridge on 7th March 1945
Remagen Refresh Eastern Crossing
Remagen Refresh Western Crossing
Remagen Refresh Ludendorff Bridge
Remagen Refresh Terrain
Remagen Refresh Tac Map
Original Remagen Tac Map
SPA on Remagen